Jesus Our Help

Near the end of our fall season in Fort Myers we had three great teams. What made each team great? Read on to find out.

Team: Constance EFC, Andover, Minnesota

Dates: October 27 – November 1, 2024

What Made This Team Great? This was a small team, a dad, a mom and a grown daughter. The CR staff (and adjunct staff*) had worked in Suzan’s home the previous week on the always-encouraging step of hanging drywall. But we hadn’t finished. This team jumped willingly into some of the most difficult areas and did a great job. They also connected with Suzan and her neighbor Mike, continuing to show the love of Christ to these two great homeowners. The point is that even a small team can have a big impact on homes and lives.

Takeaway: If you can bring or be part of even a small team you can make a difference in people’s homes and people’s lives. Don’t wait until you’ve got a dozen to bring or join a team. Come as a group of three or four (or even solo, attached to a team from another place) and see what God will do.

Team: Mountain Life Church, Park City, Utah

Dates: November 3-8, 2024

What Made This Team Great? This was a big team of about 15, which meant they got to work in four different homes, and interact with four different homeowners. Dennis Steffi and I worked with four to six “green shirts” in Jim’s home.

Jim and his brother Marvin lived in a duplex when Hurricane Ian flooded both sides in 2022. Crisis Response completely gutted and rebuilt their homes. Since then Jim has been impacted by the death of his brother and by being re-flooded by Hurricane Milton.  On top of that he fell during the early days of cleaning up after Milton and severely broke is right wrist. He’s lonely and deeply glad for every interaction he has both with Crisis Response and with the Fort Myers Evangelical Free Church. This team was able to connect deeply and supportively with Jim and to show him God’s love in practical ways. If this hadn’t been a big team we might not have been able to grow that support  this week.

Takeaway: Big teams can impact more homeowners. If you can gather a group from your church or from among your friends or any Christian organization, we can accommodate teams up to about 15 people. Skill level is not the key factor. Willingness is the key.

Team: Community EFC, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Dates: November 10-15, 2024

What Made This Team Great? This was a team of newbies and “oldbies.” (Yes, I just made up that word.) I worked with three ladies in Ineyda’s home. Jane has been on about thirty(!) Crisis Response trips and is an enthusiastic recruiter for her church’s teams. Lisa has been on several trips and for Tammy it was her first.

Ineyda has been living in the tiny upstairs part of her condo for two years while trying to get help rebuilding the first floor. She had been repeatedly disappointed and was close to despair. But because of the teams and adjunct staff that came this fall, her kitchen was rebuilt, her drywall completed and during the week we were there we primed and finish painted, as well as painting the doors and the trim. More than that, these ladies were able to connect with and support Ineyda and share testimonies of Christ’s work in their lives (including Katrina Welch’s deeply impactful story). Ineyda has faith in Christ, but is learning more and more about Him every week that teams work in her home.

Takeaway: “oldbies” are the best recruiters of “newbies.” Once you’ve seen the work that God does in people’s lives you too will want to recruit others to be on the next team and experience the blessing.

What’s the bottom line of this post? You can bring a team, small or large, experienced or novice, and contribute to a great week rebuilding homes and building relationships for Jesus in Fort Myers, Florida. What’s holding you back? Contact Gail or Bob ASAP and we’ll talk you through the beginning of the process.

For more information about coming to serve, just drop us a note or give us a call! Gail 281-797-8932; gail.degray@efca.org; Bob 281-787-7130; bob.degray@efca.org. If you would like to support Gail and I specifically, (always needed and appreciated), here is the link to our giving site: Bob and Gail DeGray

* Adjunct Staff (“Blue Shirts”): These are volunteers, believers who love Jesus and have skills that help in home rebuilding or team support. They come for any period of time from three weeks to three months and make a much needed contribution to the ministry. Have skills? Want to try it? Contact Bob or Gail to get connected.

P.S. The next post tells Harry’s story. He came solo from Georgia to join with this team from Harrisburg, connected with them and is coming back. You’ll enjoy the backstory to this one!